This morning I listened to the song "Alles wird gut". The singer says, "I wish I was full of confidence, but I'm not." Despite this uncertainty, the chorus remains optimistic: "Everything will be okay. The accompanying female singer sings these words with conviction, even as she describes the world in ruins and the house on fire. Yet she insists that everything will be all right. This confidence touches me deeply because I feel the same way. So much seems to be falling apart right now, so much feels overwhelming, and sometimes the world seems almost unbearable.
Sometimes we don't even know how to process all these feelings. People around us talk about sickness and lack of hope. Then there's the news: the war in Ukraine, the ongoing fighting and destruction. We hear about the conflicts in Gaza and Israel, where unimaginable violence is taking place. Israel is responding with full force and we wonder how this can go on. At the same time, everything is getting more expensive, and life often feels like it's draining our energy. How can we bear it all?
Not "How?" but "What?"
The real question isn't how we get through it, but what helps us in those moments. Once we know what helps, we need to follow it. We need to seek out activities and people that lift our spirits so that we can encourage others to feel better. Only then can we regain the sense that everything is really going to be okay.
And I really do believe that everything will be okay. And why is that? Because we are born into a world that we don't know. We're thrown into it, and from the moment we're born, we're happy at our core. As babies, we experience many emotions at once, but our natural state is positive. A baby smiles naturally. You instinctively respond to a smile - it creates a warm, comforting feeling.
Back to Our Default Setting
We all carry this natural, positive attitude within us, even if it has been buried over time. But we can reconnect with it by focusing on what really makes us feel good. Each of us can take a moment to reflect: What are the little things that bring me joy? Exercise, healthy food, the company of people who uplift us, positive books, music-these are the things that help restore balance.
It's important to consciously choose what we let in and what we let out. In judo, there's a principle of redirecting an opponent's energy-we can do the same with negative thoughts. Instead of letting them weigh us down, we can let them pass and respond with a smile. Even a small smile can go a long way.
A Spark of Hope
Things are going to be okay-even when we're sad or feeling hopeless. The belief that things can get better is something we all carry inside, even if it is overshadowed by outside influences. But it helps to focus on the positive, to make room for people who smile at us or tell us uplifting stories. A small spark of hope can ignite a fire within us that warms us and gives us strength.
Together We Can Do It
We need more people to say, "I don't know exactly how this is going to work out, but I'm sure it's going to be okay. If we support each other, if we work together, if we share stories, if we make money and spend it on things that make us happy, things will start to turn around. We want a good life, we want family, we want love, we want community. And that's what binds us together.
Fear separates us, but goodness brings us together. Everything will be okay - let us remember that, even in the darkest moments.
